Extrusion International 5-2017

33 Extrusion International 5/2017 “It’s not a tube you’re investing in – it’s safety“ For many years, APT has been relying on inline X-ray measuring systems from SIKORA What customers can expect from APT is already visible in the company name. “APT stands for ‘Advanced Polymer Tubing’ and describes high-quality tubes with character- istics that are well above the standard market portfolio“, says Erich Kipping, who, together with Holger Heuser, is Managing Director of the company since its foundation. There are only a small number of manufacturers world- wide, who specialize in fluoropolymer tubing with a simi- lar portfolio. The reason is that fluoropolymers are very specialized. Not only are they extremely temperature re- sistant, but they are also resistant to almost all types of chemicals, such as fuels, solvents or lye and are even long- time weather-resistant. “Fluoropolymers are becoming essential when high temperatures, aggressive chemicals or both are involved”, says Kipping. Additionally, fluo- ropolymers are ultra-clean and biocompatible and, there- fore, suitable for especially demanding applications, which would not be achievable with common polymers. Applications for fluoropolymer tubing Due to their chemical resistance, the polymers are used in process and plant engineering, amongst others, for EXTRUSION EQUIPMENT Founded in 2011, the German company APT is specialized in the production and processing of fluoropolymers. At their location inNeuss, over 30 employees ensure daily that fluoropolymers become high-quality tubing, shrink tubes and profiles. Since the start of 2017, APT now belongs to the publicly listed Masterflex Group based in Gelsenkirchen, Germany